What Your Hygienist is Doing During a Cleaning

The importance of professional dental cleanings to your dental health cannot be stressed enough. Regular brushing and flossing is important too, but it’s like just picking up your house; both require deep cleanings to make the area truly clean. Once or twice a year, you should visit the office for a cleaning. The two main advantages to teeth cleanings are to prevent tooth loss as well as preventing any diseases in the rest of your body. The cleaning process is easier than you think and only requires five simple steps.

When you first sit in the chair, the hygienist will do one or two inspections, depending on your frequency to the office and specific needs. The two inspections are done visually and with x-rays. The visual exam is done with a mirror to check for signs of gingivitis or any other major concerns. Sometimes there are problems big enough that the dentist must address them before cleaning the area. The x-ray is done to check for problems that can’t be seen with just a mirror, like checking on the roots of teeth or tight spaces between teeth.

Removing Plaque and Tartar. For many patients, this is the most uncomfortable part of a cleaning. The hygienist will take a hook-like tool and mirror to find and remove build up on your teeth. The amount of plaque you have depends on how often you brush and floss your teeth. Tartar is what plaque turns into over time and correlates to how often you come in for cleanings.

Brushing the Teeth. Using a high-powered spin brush head, the hygienist will brush your teeth. A special kind of toothpaste is used that is extra gritty, to help remove any excess plaque and tartar left behind from the scraping. While the brush is high-powered and somewhat loud, it doesn’t hurt, even on sensitive teeth.

Even a professional tooth brush can’t effectively clean the teeth alone, making flossing important. This expert-level flossing gets deep between your teeth and may cause your gums to bleed. The hygienist may take time here to help explain proper flossing techniques to achieve better results at home. This step also help ensure any trapped plaque and tartar are freed before you leave.

After rinsing your mouth out one last time, the hygienist will do a fluoride treatment to help protect your teeth for a few months. With children, we might also recommend having sealants put onto molars to add another level of protection.

Once the cleaning process is done, the hygienist will call in the dentist to inspect your teeth for any cavities. Other problems are noted in the computer as well. If you hear us say to put a watch put on a tooth, it just means we want to monitor that spot because it has the potential to turn into a cavity. If you do have any cavities, the hygienist can help make an appointment to come back in to get it fixed.

Our office isn’t scary and our hygienists are experts at giving your teeth a deep cleaning. When you leave our office, not only will your teeth feel so much